Occupation Profile

Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

(SOC Code : 53-4031)

in California

Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight train. Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within yard of railroad, industrial plant, or similar location. Yardmasters coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains, yard switching, and review train schedules and switching orders.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with Work experience in a related occupation .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$25.46	$21.24	$25.02	$29.03

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	2,100	2,000	-100	-4.8	60

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Rail Transportation

102

92.3%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Railroad and Railway Transportation

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.

Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices.

Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.

Keep records of the contents and destination of each train car, and make sure that cars are added or removed at proper points on routes.

Operate controls to activate track switches and traffic signals.

Instruct workers to set warning signals in front and at rear of trains during emergency stops.

Direct engineers to move cars to fit planned train configurations, combining or separating cars to make up or break up trains.

Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains` routes, timetables, and cargoes.

Review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information and to plan work.

Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.

More Tasks for Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

Top Skills used in this Job

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

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